
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 1, 1993                   TAG: 9305030259
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAN L. FREI
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LOOK BEYOND THE SMOKE OVER PROPOSED UNIVERSITY `FACTORY'

THE "What's on your mind?" column by Ray Reed on April 19 said that talk of a state-supported university in the Roanoke Valley "scares legislators" because of the potential expense. If that's the case, then let them be scared. Legislators aren't where they are to simply tell us "no" because they have fears, but rather to inform us "how we can" and "how we might" achieve a vision. In fact, what is the appropriation of the common treasury all about if it is not about advancing programs and ideas for the common good? There are many who can competently testify that a state-supported university here is for the common good. A simple "no" from the powers that be, without sufficient investigation of the vision, just will not do.

No one is suggesting that the commonwealth immediately spend $100 million in Roanoke and, tomorrow, plop a cookie-cutter campus down on the farmland near Peters Creek Road. And no one is suggesting that the combined jurisdictions of this valley want to take anything away from Virginia Tech - or that we want to be in competition with Tech. We need to view a public, state-supported higher-education facility here, one that provides for advanced Ph.D. study as well as graduate and undergraduate work, as an enhancement to educational variety in our part of the state. Duplicative services aside, there is curriculum that Tech does not feature. While a cooperative relationship with Tech might be important, we need to look first at improving the economic atmosphere of our valley and not be intimidated by the potential impact on Tech.

We should think of a university here as we might a factory - a "university factory" - that could produce all kinds of things, not just widgets. This factory would have spinoff economies like any other. Its products and services would have more potential for generating growth and progress for the valley than any bank or, for that matter, any other single industry. Such a factory also creates demand for local products and services. No smokestacks involved.

To build the vision of such a factory, we can't be paralyzed by fear of its expense. Everything is expensive. Hotel Roanoke is expensive, and its return on invested tax dollars might, arguably, be marginal. Municipal economic development itself, whether building shell structures or using the city's enterprise-zone fund for corporate-training inducements, is expensive. On the other hand, not spending money is sometimes expensive. Just ask your auto maintenance man.

It comes down to a question of priorities and, in this citizen's opinion, our leaders are missing this vision of our forest because the trees of old thinking about Roanoke are blocking their sight.

A state-supported university in the Roanoke Valley might be, for some, a difficult vision to have. But the vision of a university's importance and relevance to our economic future cannot be overstated. The idea is worth looking at again and again. This is a vision that will not go away just because it is rumored to "simply cost too much" or because legislators might say no.

The planning for a university would, itself, bring about a paradigm shift in our thinking about this valley. A university plan would also bring to the calculus of our "vision" new ideas, new markets, new jobs, new uses for abandoned buildings, and research possibilities in unknown technologies with enormous potential for the future and present economic viability of the Roanoke Valley.

I propose that our valley's political jurisdictions each appoint two or three citizens, and include representatives of the new Regional Business Council, to a six-month-long symposium on a university here. Call hearings, crunch the numbers, find the money. Let's get citizens working together to build, over the next 10 years, a university factory that will shift our focus from "what do we do with an aging railroad community?" to a vision of how we can achieve a community poised and geared for the 21st century.

\ AUTHOR Dan L. Frei is managing partner of The Scooter Group, an advertising and consulting partnership based in Roanoke.

by CNB